Page 18 of The Saviors: Part Two

As a family.

Chapter8

Cole

Relief at seeing Chelsea can’t be described. Everyone is back in mostly one piece, and now we need to figure out what the fuck to do.

I lead Axel to the back, where Doc Sorenson set up a makeshift hospital room, and help him onto the table. Les follows behind us, waving off a concerned Ryder and Zane.

“I said I was fine. It hit the vest. And if you don’t back the fuck off, I’m going to start cutting off important body parts.”

“Beautiful,” Zane starts, and Les holds up a hand.

“Shut up and get out.”

Axel and I cover up a laugh with a cough. Doc shakes his head and points at Axel’s leg. “Help me get the sweatpants off.”

“That’s my cue to get the fuck out of here,” Les says. “I just came to say that I’m glad everyone is okay. Get some rest, and we’ll debrief in the morning.”

“Take any rooms you want, and thank you,” I say.

She smiles. “This is what we do.” She shoos the guys out, shutting the door behind her.

Doc and I get Axel’s pants off. Doc whistles when he pulls the bandage off. “I’m assuming there isn’t an exit wound?”

Axel shakes his head. “Nah. It’s still floating around in there somewhere.”

“You might need to go the hospital—”

Axel is already shaking his head. “No can do, Doc. I’ve had worse.”

Doc sighs, snapping a pair of gloves on. His wife, Loretta, slips into the room and does the same. She smiles softly at Axel. “I need to start an IV for fluids, antibiotics, and pain medicine.”

“I don’t want the pain meds.”

“Too damn bad,” I cut in. “Shut up and let them do their job.” Axel’s eyes narrow, and I glare back. “Don’t be a hard-headed ass. Take the shit tonight and be he-man tomorrow. He’s about to dig a goddamn bullet out of your leg.”

“We need a game plan, Cole.”

“And we will. Tomorrow. Tonight I just want to hug Chelsea so fucking tight that she can’t breathe and sleep for a solid twenty-four hours.”

Axel rolls his eyes but nods for Loretta to do her thing. When the pain meds start working, I slip out of the room and go straight to my room to shower quickly. When I get back downstairs, I find Van, Les, and Mateo in the living room. I flop in the chair with a groan. “Please tell me he’s dead,” I ask Van.

Van shakes his head. “We found her running through the woods after we got the details from his mom. Our first priority was getting her out.”

“His mom?” Les asks, then punches Van in the arm. “You weren’t supposed to leave here, especially with Sean.”

“It was either that or he was going alone, Shithead,” Micah says, sitting beside Van. “His mom walked in on us interrogating his dad and gave up his location. Apparently, dad and son both fell from the woman-beater tree.”

“Sean sent the mom to Betty,” Van says.

I nod. “Good call. She’ll keep her safe. Where’s the dad?”

Micah chuckles. “Sean overdosed him on the sedative. He’s dead. That’s the only way the mom would give up the location.”

“I’m going to bed before they come looking for me,” Les says. “We make a game plan tomorrow; then we have to get back to our kids.” She gets up and disappears down the hallway.

“Same for us,” Mateo says. “Marcella’s got her hands full with all three of them.”